National Rail Enquiries (the UK) has moved its call centre to India and the result is now the most furstrating conversation ever.

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Goddamn. I've had to plan three long distance (UK) trips over the past 3 weeks and it's been the equivalent of smashing your head off a wall as you have to spell every last word, slowly repeat yourself and generally spend 10 minutes on the phone for a journey that is really (understandably) difficult for someone in a country that has no idea where the hell "Glamorgan" or "Dundee" even is.

Shit, imagine if I was put in charge of handling calls from Indian people wanting to know bus times around Bangladesh. I can imagine I'd be utterly useless and the end result would frustrate both myself and the person trying to plan a journey.

Thanks Tony. Push more jobs abroad eh? They work cheaper after all don't they?

― Mad Mike, Sunday, 17 October 2004 09:18 (twenty-one years ago)

use the internet site then, or better yet use the swiss or german railways then

― Ed (dali), Sunday, 17 October 2004 09:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Only idiots try to book rail tickets via telephone, before or after "outsourcing". Go to the railway station, try your best to be nice to the person at the ticket office, ie don't start ragging on them about how your education is superior to theirs or whatever, and they'll sell you the cheapest tickets.

x0x0x

― Petulant Pashmina (Pashmina), Sunday, 17 October 2004 09:35 (twenty-one years ago)

They're obliged to sell you the cheapest available ticket by law. If they don't, it's a mistake.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 17 October 2004 09:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyway, National Rail Enquiries don't sell tickets, Pashmina - that's a different service.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 17 October 2004 09:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Just use:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/planmyjourney

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Sunday, 17 October 2004 10:00 (twenty-one years ago)

remarkably usable site. I expected much, much less.

― Hari Ashurst (Toaster), Sunday, 17 October 2004 10:11 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.traintimes.org.uk is better.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 17 October 2004 10:41 (twenty-one years ago)

How telling is that misspelling in the thread title.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 17 October 2004 10:51 (twenty-one years ago)

haha how comical you mean. furstration in the furnation.

(trying to imagine ~~calum~~ er colin er "mike" handling enquiry calls for public transport - "WHAT? YOU WANT TO GO TO LONDON!! WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO GO THERE YOU DONKEY KNOB GOBBLER HOW DARE YOU HANG UP ON ME THUS CENSORING ME HAVEN'T YOU READ "SEXUAL PERSONAE" THUS PROVING YOU ARE ILL EQUIPPED TO DEBATE WITH ONE WHO'S EDUCATION IS..... (etc etc et not the most productive worwker in the callcentre I ph34r)

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Sunday, 17 October 2004 11:10 (twenty-one years ago)

.... I was thinking more along the lines of "What colour panties are you wearing?"

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Sunday, 17 October 2004 11:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Ned Ragget is fat and still looking for girls to F*ck on Friendster.

Anyway, my point is that it's a disgrace that we're laying people off in order to give fat cats more money and pay people in a third world country less cash for a service that they cannot deliver nearly as well.

― Mad Mike, Sunday, 17 October 2004 11:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Is that how you lost our job then?

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Sunday, 17 October 2004 11:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Haha. Ownage on a sunday dinnertime = classic.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Sunday, 17 October 2004 11:19 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.globalhermit.com/ilx/ccc.jpg

Calum Robert Waddell is a small headed racist fascist illiterate tory pig.

Calum Robert Waddell is a small headed racist fascist illiterate tory pig.
Calum Robert Waddell is a small headed racist fascist illiterate tory pig.
Calum Robert Waddell is a small headed racist fascist illiterate tory pig.

http://www.globalhermit.com/ilx/ccc.jpg

Cheerio!

― Mad . Mike, Sunday, 17 October 2004 11:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Terms like "cash" make you look real worldly and cool

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Sunday, 17 October 2004 11:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, someone who is utterly disgraced at the low levels of wages and long, non-unionised working hours in third world countries is "racist". What fucking planet are you on? I guess all of us lefty liberal types should instead embrace the fact that people in third world countries are hired, for little pay, to do jobs that are inevitably going to be difficult. Read my initial post you small minded fuckwitt: Could I do the same position for a customer in India? Unlikely.

― Mad Mike., Sunday, 17 October 2004 12:00 (twenty-one years ago)

This forum never ceases to surprise me with its small minded opinions and the fact that all you assholes probably put your little cross next to Blair or Howard anyway. i'd like to see how many of you so called lefties really do swing to the left and have humanity and compassion.

― Mad Mike., Sunday, 17 October 2004 12:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Read my initial post you small minded fuckwitt: Could I do the same position for a customer in India? Unlikely

...especially since you were actually talking about train times in Bangladesh. Or is it OK to have Bangladeshi customer services outsourced to India as well?

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 17 October 2004 12:05 (twenty-one years ago)

It was simply an example of an area I'm unfaimiliar with, albeit one that is especially exploited by the West. I could just have easily said Delhi (where I believe the new call centre is for the rail enquiries), Seoul or Taiwan.
P.S. The person who keeps registering my name has too much time on his hands and is, well, really sad. What a waste of time.

― Mad .Mike.., Sunday, 17 October 2004 12:14 (twenty-one years ago)

this thread is shocking - whoever turned it in to another excuse to hate on callum should be ashamed.

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 17 October 2004 12:15 (twenty-one years ago)

The service is rubbish more times than not of late - when you're not trying to buy, but trying to find routes, I'm finding it virtually impossible to get the information I want as the operators are working to a script that probably works for say 80% of enquiries:

- Customer asked where they are travelling from, and where to, and what time; database queried, results given.

But if it's a mixture of price and time (ie, I want to go to Preston via Leeds as I have a meeting Leeds, but ultimately will make my journey on an evaluation of the time and inconvenience and cost. It's practically impossible to get good service here though, as the operators just don't know the UK rail system to help you. When it was based in Newcastle, it wasn't hugely better, but occasionally, you got someone who knew their onions, as opposed to never geting anyone who does.

― Dave B (daveb), Sunday, 17 October 2004 12:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks for the last two posts. I have a cross country train journey to make this week and the information I have been given has been useless and no one can tell me how long anything takes. If anyone can help here - how long does it take to travel from London Kings Cross to Liverpool St?

Cheers.

― .Mad .Mike, Sunday, 17 October 2004 12:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Allow at least half an hour. It's the Circle Lline, which isn't the most frequent of tube lines.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 17 October 2004 12:54 (twenty-one years ago)

(will probably take more like 15-20 mins)

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 17 October 2004 12:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, but don't all the Hammersmith & City/Metropolitan trains run on that part of the line too? So service more frequent than Alba implies.

― Mooro (Mooro), Sunday, 17 October 2004 13:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Ah yes - you're right. How soon I forget.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 17 October 2004 13:07 (twenty-one years ago)

They're obliged to sell you the cheapest available ticket by law.

They're allowed to sell you the cheapest available ticket, yes. However, there are often circumstances where it's cheaper to buy a pair of tickets, or more, together.* Staff aren't obliged to search for those (because it would be far too complicated), but friendly staff may well offer you it.

* ie, if you're going from A to C via B, it can sometimes be cheaper to buy one ticket from A to B and another from B to C.

― caitlin (caitlin), Sunday, 17 October 2004 17:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, that's interesting. Fare structures are so annoying these days. I've found it cheaper to get two singles than a return when visting London recently (booking 2-3 weeks in advance). thetrainline.com did suggest this.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 17 October 2004 17:07 (twenty-one years ago)

FOr the information of Mad Mike:

The call centres in India provide jobs at far above average pay, to university graduates who are far better educated than the employees of call centres over here. Admittedly it doesn't help the service like a good knowledge of the railways would but I don't recall any of the UK staff having one of those either.

― Ed (dali), Sunday, 17 October 2004 17:11 (twenty-one years ago)

We don't even have an outsourced rail query line over here. We're lucky to still *have* trains, let alone find out when they run.

― Lara (Lara), Sunday, 17 October 2004 18:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks to the people who gave me directions there.

Indian students coming out of university and working (for low pay presumably otherwise why ship jobs abroad) in a train call centre is quite a sad thought. Whatever the case is, it makes the service extremely difficult (try getting train directions in a Scottish accent, pronouncing the names of stations that even the Geordies used to ask you to spell) and it's left a lot of people unemployed. All I know is that I wouldn't use this phone service again as it's been an utter nightmare for me.

― Mad Mike..., Sunday, 17 October 2004 19:43 (twenty-one years ago)

hey, dude, you gonna be in glasgow, anytime soon?

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 17 October 2004 19:44 (twenty-one years ago)

The cost of living is much lower in India, Mike. Therefore they can pay wages that are very good in India (thus attractive to graduates) but low when converted into Sterling.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 17 October 2004 21:41 (twenty-one years ago)

After tonight, I hope I never get on a train again. I phoned National Rail Enquiries three times today and none of the people sounded like they were Indian, although they were extremely rubbish and told me the wrong things.

― Cathy (Cathy), Sunday, 17 October 2004 21:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh dear, Cathy. Ring me in future.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 17 October 2004 21:52 (twenty-one years ago)

she has a fancy phone but not that fancy.

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 17 October 2004 22:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I think you, or at least someone, should provide a rescue service like the AA, but for people stuck on station platforms eating 60p crisps and waiting for miserable trains that don't come, or when they do come are full of drunks and screaming children.

Bah.

― Cathy (Cathy), Sunday, 17 October 2004 22:09 (twenty-one years ago)

You can't stop drunks and screaming children using trains. Though perhaps they could have dedicated carriages.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 17 October 2004 22:39 (twenty-one years ago)

We used to call it 'the smoking carriage'.

― Dave B (daveb), Sunday, 17 October 2004 23:00 (twenty-one years ago)

How quaint.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 17 October 2004 23:06 (twenty-one years ago)

On Friday night, returning from the Bath Beer Festival, the conductor scoured the train to find extra people so he could sell us a group ticket and save us money. You don't get enough staff like that any more.

When we got off at Temple Meads they'd opened the barriers, however, so the cheapest option would have been for him not to sell us a ticket at all. Particularly since he trusted our slightly more drunk mate who "had a ticket somewhere. It's in one of these pockets..." (he found it in the taxi)

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Monday, 18 October 2004 08:34 (twenty-one years ago)

i like how madmike thinks that indian call centre staff know less about the railway network than uk call centre staff. and that all call centre staff from uk understand scottish accent.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 08:54 (twenty-one years ago)

YAWN

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 18 October 2004 09:26 (twenty-one years ago)

how much more desperate can the put-downs get?

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 18 October 2004 09:29 (twenty-one years ago)

exactly

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 09:29 (twenty-one years ago)

yours i meant.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 18 October 2004 09:30 (twenty-one years ago)

yet oddly it applies both ways.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 09:33 (twenty-one years ago)

except i don't understand what put downs i was supposed to have implied.. apart from maybe stating that madmike is wrong once again?

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 09:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't know Ken - in your situation I thought you'd be saying something along the lines of "I could work at Railway Enquiries in the UK or Hong Kong! ph34r me!"

― MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 18 October 2004 09:40 (twenty-one years ago)

ha, right - i'm sure any other implications are in my head. he's not wrong anyway - its quite different explaining uk place names to someone in india than to someone in the UK - with or without a scottish accent.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 18 October 2004 09:43 (twenty-one years ago)

and as Bangladesh was part of India until the late 1940s I don't suppose the Indian/Bangladeshi thing would be a problem.

But yes, ringing someone up for info - whoever they are, *regardless* of their nationality, geographical location or intelligence is always my last option after

- interweb
- going to a desk and asking
- asking a mate
- guessing

― MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 18 October 2004 09:49 (twenty-one years ago)

and as Bangladesh was part of India until the late 1940s I don't suppose the Indian/Bangladeshi thing would be a problem.

Well, as long as caller and operator were both English speakers. There are a lot of languages in India, old or new!

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 18 October 2004 09:52 (twenty-one years ago)

but are somebody in the UK necessary that much better in railway knowledge than someone in india? someone in the UK will have the advantage of having been to a few railway stations, which is a bonus. but ask both what trains to get to go from tamworth to kilmarnock?

it's going to be typing into the computer and read back what the screen says time. i guess people in the UK are slightly better at reading.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 09:53 (twenty-one years ago)

new languages?

people in the UK are slightly worse at Reading.

― MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 18 October 2004 09:55 (twenty-one years ago)

actually one guy i know was from Reading and he was into trance

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 09:56 (twenty-one years ago)

but ask both what trains to get to go from tamworth to kilmarnock?

Surely this is one of the more obvious things you could ask - I'd expect anyone who travels by train at all to know it.

(the only subtle part is whether the obvious route is the fastest; I suspect it's often quicker to go via Glasgow Central)

― caitlin (caitlin), Monday, 18 October 2004 11:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Deutsche Bahn's site is amazingly quick, i just tried searching a journey within in fife and a got a result in a fraction of the time the british sites would take.

― leigh (leigh), Monday, 18 October 2004 11:22 (twenty-one years ago)

thetrainline.co.uk suggests tamworth -> birmingham new st -> glasgow central -> kilmarnock. hands up all those (except caitlin maybe) who knew this.

and even if one knew the route, you'd still need to look up the traintimes (and possibly fare) via the computer/the big thick traintimes book.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 11:35 (twenty-one years ago)

That's not the fastest route, if you set of at the right time of day. As any fule kno, Tamworth is on the London-Glasgow main line; the only problem is that not many expresses stop there.

Anyone who has a) ever travelled along the West Coast Main Line b) has ever spent more than two minutes looking at a National Rail network map is going to know this.

― caitlin (caitlin), Monday, 18 October 2004 11:41 (twenty-one years ago)

there you go - i'm a) and i didn't know. maybe i should spend tomorrow looking at the national rail network map. oh wait, i just bought pro-evolution soccer 4.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 11:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Fuck you, cunt.

― caitlin (caitlin), Monday, 18 October 2004 11:46 (twenty-one years ago)

i don't understand what you mean.. is that scottish?

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 11:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I think ''cunt' is a twee scottish term for someone who lives in England.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Monday, 18 October 2004 11:52 (twenty-one years ago)

No, the definition is more like "someone whose sudden, unexpected death would cause spontaneous rejoicing"

― caitlin (caitlin), Monday, 18 October 2004 11:55 (twenty-one years ago)

so you wanted to fuck someone who just died unexpectedly?

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:01 (twenty-one years ago)

For fuck's sake, learn some basic English comprehension.

― caitlin (caitlin), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:02 (twenty-one years ago)

You're fighting about RAILWAY TIMETABLES! For God's sake - if you do this then Calum wins!

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:03 (twenty-one years ago)

This isn't about railway timetables, it's about How The World Will Be A Better Place When Ken C Is No Longer In It.

Sometimes, anyway, I have the feeling that Calum has already won.*

* when I'm depressed with ILX, obv.

― caitlin (caitlin), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:05 (twenty-one years ago)

this just highlights the possible confusion that could result from having your national rail call centre located halfway across the globe.

anyway, this isnt an anti-callum thread kevin.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Hey, I have no problem with Calum, actually. I was just trying to turn you both onto a common and already marginalised enemy.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, yes, my point is that your average intelligent UK person - esp. one who works for the NRE call centre - will probably know that Tamworth is on the London-Glasgow main line; but you can't expect your average Indian university graduate to.

― caitlin (caitlin), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:07 (twenty-one years ago)

calum: hi national rail enquiries, i'd like the traintimes for tamworth to kilmarnock please.

call centre: oh great, let me just check with the system. ok, the quickest route from where you are is probably tamworth -> birmingham new st -> glasgow central -> kilmarnock

calum: That's not the fastest route, if you set of at the right time of day. As any fule kno, Tamworth is on the London-Glasgow main line; the only problem is that not many expresses stop there.
Anyone who has a) ever travelled along the West Coast Main Line b) has ever spent more than two minutes looking at a National Rail network map is going to know this.

call centre: maybe i should spend tonight looking at the national rail network map. i may get myself a promotion!

calum: Fuck you, cunt.

call centre: i don't understand what you mean..

calum: For fuck's sake, learn some basic English comprehension.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:10 (twenty-one years ago)

nor can you expect your average indian university graduate to understand a "scottish accent" (ken, there is no such thing any more than there is an english one) or any of the nuances of regional UK accents. its quite obvious that if you're from the country, though, they would defintaly be much easier for you to work out. Depending on where in Edinburgh he comes from Callum is, in fact, quite likely to have an accent closer to "the queens english" than most other ILXers.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:13 (twenty-one years ago)

if you'd take sometime to think about the point here, is that, very few people would have travelled on every single railline in the UK, so actually, the fact that one has been on the train is not really that great an advantage when, as you say, you can do pretty well just by reading a map. which, i'd expect the average indian university graduate to be able to do. unless they're an art student, maybe.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I think the problem is that the debate is too closely tied to arguments about race. The anger at having jobs move to India isn't so much a socialist anger as a "how dare those people tell me how a British train runs. We built their railroad!". Which of course, makes it harder to discuss - it's very rare to find the people complaining about it blaming it on Tory privatisation, for example.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:17 (twenty-one years ago)

callums frustration obviously stemmed from the fact that the person on the other end of the line couldnt understand what he was asking for, not that they didnt know the routes.

also its just plain ludicrous to have your national rail enquiry line situated halfway across the globe.

xp - i dont think its a racial issue it's more that it just doesn't make any sense.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:19 (twenty-one years ago)

and jed, it's madmike himself who talked about the scottish accent. i didn't bring it up. somebody from the UK can probably understand the accent slightly better, but i don't know how significant a point that really is. all that needs to be communicated are the origin and the destinations, and the date and time.

just, like, don't make people out as being thick as shit just because they don't speak english as their first language.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:20 (twenty-one years ago)

We're hardly talking about an obscure country branchline. Given that Tamworth is on the busiest main line in the country, a hell of a lot of people are going to know where it is. Just because you're a fuckwit doesn't mean everyone else is too.

(xpost)

― caitlin (caitlin), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, I don't think it's a real racial issue - I just think that is where the dabate is happening.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:22 (twenty-one years ago)

i didn't do that but i'll remember not to anyway.

2xposts

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:24 (twenty-one years ago)

yet being a fuckwit (cos i didn't know tamworth is on this westcoast line), i bet i could have gotten a job at the NRE call centre when it was here. so what does that prove?

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:25 (twenty-one years ago)

In an ideal world, a cunt like you shouldn't be able to get a job anywhere.

― caitlin (caitlin), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:26 (twenty-one years ago)

and everyone would know where tamworth is on the railway map

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:28 (twenty-one years ago)

we can only dream.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:28 (twenty-one years ago)

well this is a whole other thing.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:28 (twenty-one years ago)

and i've no idea what it's about.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:28 (twenty-one years ago)

i wish i knew.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 12:29 (twenty-one years ago)

and jed, it's madmike himself who talked about the scottish accent. i didn't bring it up. somebody from the UK can probably understand the accent slightly better

Not necessarily, I imagine the people working in the India will actually be trying to understand regional accents whereas most people in the South East of England don't bother their arse. Let the mountain come to Mohammed etc.

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Monday, 18 October 2004 13:31 (twenty-one years ago)

the mountain has been delayed due to the wrong kind of Mohammed

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Monday, 18 October 2004 13:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, this thread's title is strangley prescient of some part of the conversation that followed.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Monday, 18 October 2004 13:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Outsourcing call centre jobs to India = long overdue payback for Empire, surely?

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 18 October 2004 14:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Surely India working as a service industry is a continuation of Empire. Of course they can get payback by giving us the wrong information.

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 18 October 2004 14:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Indian top order batting lineup = long overdue payback.

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Monday, 18 October 2004 14:32 (twenty-one years ago)

I didn't know Tamworth was on the London-Glasgow line, and I use it all the time.

― Cathy (Cathy), Monday, 18 October 2004 14:34 (twenty-one years ago)

WTF are you people fighting for? (xpost)

― Dan Perry '08 (Dan Perry), Monday, 18 October 2004 14:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Time for you imperialists to meet The Turbanator

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Monday, 18 October 2004 14:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, this thread's title is strangley prescient of some part of the conversation that followed.

Rereading this thread's title makes me think of call centres staffed with furries.

― caitlin (caitlin), Monday, 18 October 2004 14:41 (twenty-one years ago)

i wish i knew.

xpost

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 14:42 (twenty-one years ago)

"Time for you imperialists to meet The Turbanator"

Harbhajan is good, but Anil Kumble is a man possesed atm.

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Monday, 18 October 2004 14:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Apple Crumble is on fire at the moment

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Monday, 18 October 2004 14:54 (twenty-one years ago)

he's not so hot in the limited-ovens matches

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 15:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay, I've just phoned national rail enquiries out of curiosity and unless Indian call centres are currently employing Mancs then the entire premise of this thread is wrong.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 18 October 2004 15:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Ha ha ha ha OMG. Perhaps "mike" just got an operator w/an asian accent, and ass umed?

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Monday, 18 October 2004 15:11 (twenty-one years ago)

they're manc immigrants, going to india to steal their jobs and marry their wives.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 18 October 2004 15:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Goddamn. I've had to plan three long distance (UK) trips over the past 3 weeks and it's been the equivalent of smashing your head off a wall as you have to spell every last word, slowly repeat yourself and generally spend 10 minutes on the phone for a journey that is really (understandably) difficult for someone in a city that has no idea where the hell "Glamorgan" or "Dundee" even is.

Shit, imagine if I was put in charge of handling calls from Manc people wanting to know bus times around Burnage. I can imagine I'd be utterly useless and the end result would frustrate both myself and the person trying to plan a journey.

Thanks Tony. Push more jobs Manchester eh? They work cheaper after all don't they?

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Monday, 18 October 2004 15:13 (twenty-one years ago)

off the map.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 18 October 2004 15:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I've no idea where Tamworth is.

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 18 October 2004 15:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Rugeley. Lichfield Trent Valley. Atherstone. Polesworth. Nuneaton.

Surely every schoolboy knows this?

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Monday, 18 October 2004 15:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I've no idea where Tamworth is.

It's where Nick Drake wasn't born

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Monday, 18 October 2004 15:58 (twenty-one years ago)

my grandparents used to live there (on the outskirts at least). Tamworth has a very nice castle.

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Monday, 18 October 2004 16:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I've noticed it's a shift thing-if you phone NRE at weekends on in the evening, that's more likely to end up outside the UK. They retain fully netowrk aware and trained staff in the UK who you can ask to be through to.

― Dave B (daveb), Monday, 18 October 2004 16:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Seeing as they've all been trained to not speak with an Indian accent, how is one to tell where they are? Are you allowed to ask: "Are you Indian?"

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 18 October 2004 16:04 (twenty-one years ago)

They've supposedly been tutored in aspects of British culture, such as Eastenders plotlines, too. Maybe you just have to ask trick questions about Tamworth. Wasn't that runaway pig from Tamworth?

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 18 October 2004 16:09 (twenty-one years ago)

'Hello can you tell me the next train to Glasgow from Kings Cross via Tamworth?'

'Dunno mate but Alfie's sure doin' his nut over Kat's hiatus!'

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Monday, 18 October 2004 16:10 (twenty-one years ago)

You can tell - they don't do nuance and don't vary the script - you say before they start 'I'd like the next train from Blackheath to Waterloo East please' and they still go through the script.

― Dave B (daveb), Monday, 18 October 2004 16:11 (twenty-one years ago)

But they've done that for ages!

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 18 October 2004 16:12 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the way Dave is approaching this like a Turing Test.

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 18 October 2004 16:13 (twenty-one years ago)

i think they're the only people still watching eastenders...

― koogs (koogs), Monday, 18 October 2004 16:26 (twenty-one years ago)

only The Ghost Of Pete Beale can save that show

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Monday, 18 October 2004 16:33 (twenty-one years ago)

awight tweacle.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 18 October 2004 16:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Human: How do you get from tamworth to kilmarnock?
ALICE: Everything I need is provided by my botmaster.

― Richard Jones (scarne), Monday, 18 October 2004 20:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I tried this enquiry on a real robot here.

Human: How do you get from tamworth to kilmarnock?
Jabberwacky: Where are you taking me away to?

I would be very impressed if National Railway Enquiries operators started answering my questions like that. Though I'm not sure I could afford to whisk them away on a Central Belt mini-break if they lived in India, unfortunately. Bring back the Geordies!

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 18 October 2004 20:34 (twenty-one years ago)

I've always used National Rail Enquiries since I started doing long distance train trips (don't like flying unless neccessary - i.e. outside of the UK) back in 1995. With my hand on my heart I only had a problem once - when someone told me that a trip from Kirkcaldy to Stirling (or something like that, I was just looking for the time of the journey not the route) would take me 8 hours on a Sunday and I had to go via London Ouston. I mentioned over and over that I did this trip a lot and that they were wrong and yet they insisted that I had to go via London. I explained why a trip that lasts two hours and is inside of Scotland didn't really require going to the South of England. Eventually I got angry and hung up. Phoned back later.

Other than that I've had no problems with them until recently. I do find it extremely frustrating not getting the service I expect and - again - I just find it really senseless having someone from another part of the world entirely trying to map out a trip within the UK.

― MadMike, Tuesday, 19 October 2004 15:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Ouston, we have a problem.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 15:14 (twenty-one years ago)

This isn't about railway timetables, it's about How The World Will Be A Better Place When Ken C Is No Longer In It.

This is so obviously not true. I haven't a clue where Tamworth is. OMG, this makes me unintelligent! Wait, wait, wait, only in Caitlin's World. God, I was worried for a nanosecond.

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 15:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Why does Caitlin hate Ken C so much?

To be honest I had no idea what line Tamworth is on either, but then I've never taken the train in that direction.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 15:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I just can't believe Callum called Coffee And Cigarettes "one of the finest comedies of recent memory".

― adam. (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 16:05 (twenty-one years ago)

when someone told me that a trip from Kirkcaldy to Stirling (or something like that, I was just looking for the time of the journey not the route) would take me 8 hours on a Sunday and I had to go via London Ouston

you have to say though.. going from scotland to london and back in 8 hours, is pretty impressive.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 16:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Why does Caitlin hate Ken C so much?

Because, since the first time I met him, he's done his best to insult me, turn people against me, and generally make nasty comments about everything I write or do that he knows about.

― caitlin (caitlin), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 20:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, but apart from that.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 20:17 (twenty-one years ago)

You must admit though, he is a snappy dresser.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 20:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I got stuck at Tamworth station for 40 minutes with only a midget for company once.

― Chairman ROFLMAO (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 20:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Are you implying that midgets are anything less than scintillating company?

― adam. (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 20:30 (twenty-one years ago)

i'm sorry you feel that way caitlin :(

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 20:36 (twenty-one years ago)

David Rappaport was the life and soul of the party. Until he ceased to have either, obv.

― Dave B (daveb), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 20:36 (twenty-one years ago)

i heard they have a short attention span xxxpost

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 20:37 (twenty-one years ago)

"I will apologise for the outrage my actions caused, but I will not apologise for my actions themselves"

― caitlin (caitlin), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:18 (twenty-one years ago)

i'm not apologising for anything. i'm just sorry.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:22 (twenty-one years ago)

i just don't understand why you think i have something against you.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:26 (twenty-one years ago)

like, when did i try to turn people against you? who exactly?? what why how?

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:30 (twenty-one years ago)

all i did was i tried to make a point about uk call centres, and you called me a fule, and a cunt. well i'm sorry if somehow *i* was being nasty. what a great thread!

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I didn't mean in this thread; I meant in the past. As I said.

― caitlin (caitlin), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 21:35 (twenty-one years ago)

so you agree that the outburst was a little unreasonable on this thread?

check your mail mate. if we carry on here this thread will end up so good nobody will read the other ones.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 22:10 (twenty-one years ago)

This thread makes me homesick.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 22:14 (twenty-one years ago)

you were from tamworth?

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 22:15 (twenty-one years ago)

― adam. (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 22:18 (twenty-one years ago)

someone told me that a trip from Kirkcaldy

C*l*m in outing himself shockah!

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 08:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Didn't he once say he was Calum's mate or something?

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 09:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't know where Tamworth is. I could check but I don't care. I think those pigs did escape from there - the Tamworth two? Unless that just applied to the breed.

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 09:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't know exactly where Tamworth is (other than somewhere in the Midlands). I think there's a snowdome-type artificial ski-slope there though.

― robster (robster), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 09:27 (twenty-one years ago)

I associate Tamworth with pigs. Is there a pig farm? Is Tamworth a type of pig? What about this runaway pig, upthread?

― Cathy (Cathy), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 09:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Ken Chu said:

*but ask both what trains to get to go from tamworth to kilmarnock?*

I might be about fifteen years out of date now, but back in the block party era you would probably have had to change at Stafford (one of my favourite stations because of the old boy's announcements - 'Stafford! This is Stafford! The train now approaching....') and get on the Glasgow train there. This train was known to trainspotters as the Glasgow Boiler. I guess the Tamworth - Stafford leg of the journey was on a train to Stoke or somewhere, because it was always one of those 'wee' trains. Alternatively, you could change at B'ham New Street or B'ham International. This involves getting the other line, the one that runs from Nottingham to Birmingham via Burton on the upper level. This is less preferable because it has commuters on it and it's rubbish being stuck at B'ham because of the lack of railway aesthetics which are very much in evidence at Stafford. Also, it's a kind of backwards hop.

Once you reach Glasgow Central, you can change to the Kilamrnock train there. You will then be in Britian Luckiest Town - official! It will also be a 'wee' train but the passengers will be very different to the ones on the Tamworth - B'ham train. Alternatively, and I'm entering the realm of speculation here, you may be able to change at that place where the trains split up, one end going to Glasgow, the other end going to Edinburgh. I can't remember what it's called, sorry. I think it begins with 's'. Or is that Scotrail? Anyway, this would avoid the backwards hop and it's a reasonably interesting place to get stuck *once* in your lifetime. Note the prominent use of sandstone in the local houses, unheard of in Tamworth. I don't think you can change at Lockerbie, but it's worth keeping an eye open for. If you don't talk a lot, around about this point, other passengers will start to assume you are a fellow Scot and talk about how much they miss Scotland when they're a way and so on. You will now have to nod politely for the rest of the journey to avoid giving the game away.

There you are, Ken, I hope that helps. I think someoen called you a cunt upthread, you want to stamp that out quickly, before it gets out of hand.

Also, you used to be able to ring the station you wanted to travel from, but I don't think you can now. Derby was pretty good, or was that the national one? Derby is a big railway town, so they don't object to being asked about trains.

Leicester and Nottingham stations are the same. As each other.

Yes, there is a 'Snowdome', it is very cold inside, but not as cold as the railway station waiting rooms.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 09:48 (twenty-one years ago)

The Tamworth Two refers to the breed of pig, not their place of birth. Unfortunately.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 09:50 (twenty-one years ago)

this thread makes me really want to visit Tamworth. FAP anyone?

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 09:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Definitely. I'd have to take the 12:58 Central Trains service to Birmingham, and then change for the 14:30 Virgin Trains service to Tamworth though.

― Chairman ROFLMAO (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 09:58 (twenty-one years ago)

and thank you for the in depth answer, PJ Miller.

Milton Keynes has a snowdome too, and it is also on the westcoast line.. except apparently the virgin trains don't like stopping there anymore, maybe richard branson is an AFC Wimbledon fan. and you now have to always take the silverlink county trains with the blue and green attire and which goes to places with delightful names such as Leighton Buzzard, Berkhamsted, Tring and Bushey.

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:01 (twenty-one years ago)

if i set off right now i can get the 13:06 virgin train from london euston and change at birmingham new street, then hop on the 15:12 central train to tamworth. meet you at half three?

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:04 (twenty-one years ago)

You certainly used to be able to get to Tamworth direct from Euston. I'm sure you still can. I wouldn't really recommend it for a FAP though, it's fairly violent, pubwise, at least in the town centre.

This thread may prove useful for those planning to attend Burton Albion vs Exeter City. Or better still, Tamworth vs Exeter City.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:14 (twenty-one years ago)

How much for a return ticket from Paisley Gilmour Street to Tamworth?

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I think the Tamworth Two were from Wiltshire.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Alternatively, and I'm entering the realm of speculation here, you may be able to change at that place where the trains split up, one end going to Glasgow, the other end going to Edinburgh. I can't remember what it's called, sorry. I think it begins with 's'.

Shotts? Carstairs?

I once spent a very happy 35mins waiting for a connection in a blizzard at Nuneaton. It might've been better if it had been a blizzard at Leighton Buzzard (and I'd waited with Leighton Rees or there'd been one light on) but to embellish these fascinatin' stories is to sap them of their winning bathos.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:22 (twenty-one years ago)

it might have been better with a midget to keep you company.

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm sure you still can go from Euston and Tamworth direct, now that i know that Tamworth is on the westcoast line, i'm sure there'd be some trains that'd go direct to tamworth (stopping a few stations on the way). I'm sad to hear about the violence in Tamworth pubs though.

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Carstairs? No.

Carlisle? Yes.

(the only trains that split/join at Carstairs nowadays are the Glasgow/Edinburgh to London sleepers. But that's irrelevant, because you can't get from there to Kilmarnock without going through Glasgow anyway)

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Euston to Tamworth tomorrow, without changing: 15:45, 17:18, 18:45, 19:45, 22:05.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Carstairs. How could I forget? Sounds a bit like Carsmile.

That'd be Cambridge - Liverpool via Peterborough, Leicester and all that shite. I suppose it starts at.... STANSTEAD. Hang on, no it wouldn't. What I lack in accuracy, I make up for in enthusiasm.

I've spent many miserable hours stuck at Nuneaton. Last time there was a bloke dressed as a clown collecting money for a children's home or something. It was bloody freezing, and I was stuck long enough to eventually give him some money out of guilt. They have a little cafe that sells trainspotter things.

I don't know how I managed to ignore this thread all day yesterday.

I think all my cousins have been beaten up in Tamworth, usually by numerous assailants. There's a nice pub called The Albert near the station though.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I spent an hour without money on Nuneaton platform in 1998. It wasn't fun. But I notice lots of work on the station which is good to see; I beam as a Labour Party member at this.

What's that pub you can see opposite Stafford station? I always notice it, and resolve to one day have a drink in, but suspect it might be rub.

When I think of Tamworth, I always think of Robert Peel and his manifesto.

― Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I remember the pub that used to be inside the tube station at Knightsbridge...

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:08 (twenty-one years ago)

There used to be a Berni Inn called The Peel. Steak, they had. I don't know the pub in Stafford, but I have seen them working at Nuneaton, more than a year ago now. And on a Saturday, no less. Bob Marley played *twice* in Stafford.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Do every set of travelling football fans in the country have to go through Milton Keynes Central? It's like the Premiership Parliament there at 6pm on a Saturday.

The coffee shops there are rubbish as well.

― Chairman ROFLMAO (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:15 (twenty-one years ago)

AARGH THIS IS THE THREAD FOR ME! It took me five hours to get from Glasgow to Durham on Satuday (Glasgow - Edinburgh - Carlisle(!!) - Newcastle - Durham) thanks to the Indian lady who told me to go via Edinburgh the night before when I decided to be responsible and check train times rather than just showing up at the station. No mention that the East Coast Line is k-fucked north of Newcastle every weekend until further notice. No mention at all.

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:15 (twenty-one years ago)

See what happens when you post in a rush without reading the whole thread?

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Will computers understand people from Kirkcaldy any better than Indians?

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:34 (twenty-one years ago)

There's a Scottish 118 number, isn't there? I saw an advert on the bus that read "Mill Guy? Where's that?" or something.

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:36 (twenty-one years ago)

There's at least one; I saw it advertised on the back of an Edinburgh bus with a picture of a man in a kilt flashing his arse.

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I got the Newcastle - Carlisle (??!!) - Edinburgh train on Sunday and it took so long that I missed the pub quiz and dinner. This was thanks to a (not-Indian) call centre man who told me that there was a train straight from Sheffield to Haymarket but there wasn't at all.

― Cathy (Cathy), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Will computers understand people from Kirkcaldy any better than Indians?
-- Onimo (gerry.wat...), October 20th, 2004 12:34 PM. (later)

maybe as long as the programming isn't outsourced to india.

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:42 (twenty-one years ago)

we talk C++ so much better here in the uk.

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:44 (twenty-one years ago)

wtf? Birmingham New St is a brilliant train station, Crewe is the ultimate fave though coz everyone has to change there at some point in their life.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:53 (twenty-one years ago)

In a way I'm glad I went via Carlisle - the line to Newcastle is one of the prettiest I've taken, even if the train is a bit rickety.

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I jackpotted the fruit machine at Crewe the other week! The woman in the cafe bit wouldn't let me change my 50 pound coins into notes unless I bought something.

― Chairman ROFLMAO (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I got it after dark, so there was not even the consolation of scenery. I did get free tea and biscuits though.

― Cathy (Cathy), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 12:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I was going to Excelsior Alba's comments on this thread but I cracked up at som many of his comments I can't cut and paste them all!

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 12:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Birmingham New Street sucks ass. I spent a night there after drunkenly falling asleep and waking up on a terminating service there. Wanted to sleep in the bogs (warmer) but the killjpys wouldn't let us. Ended up on a platform where it was uber-cold.

There's probably a better thread for this; I can't believe there not been a thread on favourite UK train stations, he said expectantly for some less busy to find this thread.

― Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 12:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Sorry about the pig confusion.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 12:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Don't worry, I was very excited when I saw the title. Of the Tamworth Two. I'm sure I've biggied up B'Ham New St elsewhere, it depends on my mood.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 12:33 (twenty-one years ago)

How can you talk about Tamworth without mentioning Julian Cope? He was the king of Tamworth! Wasn't he?

― Pete W (peterw), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 12:36 (twenty-one years ago)

You're thinking of Ethelfleda*, King of Mercia, who built his castle where the Anker meets the Tame.

*I think.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 12:46 (twenty-one years ago)

that north-east coast line is wonderful isn't it Madchen?

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 14:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, when it isn't closed. I like the red and white lighthouse view best.

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 15:17 (twenty-one years ago)

I got the Newcastle - Carlisle (??!!) - Edinburgh train on Sunday and it took so long that I missed the pub quiz and dinner.

Ooo, which pub quiz do you go to?

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 18:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I like it too, but it makes me cross that the Glasgow-Edinburgh leg is so slow.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 18:15 (twenty-one years ago)

(if you can call it a leg. Maybe it's more of an appendix)

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 18:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I go to a (quite hard, I think) pub quiz at Hubbard's, in Glasgow. I am usually pleased with myself if I know one question that no one else in the team does. That happens sometimes.

― Cathy (Cathy), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 18:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Before I read this thread I had no idea that Caitlin and Callum were the same person, so in that respect it has been enlightening. IMHO the best station to get stuck at is Grantham, coz it has a Connect Four machine in the cafeteria.

― MarkH (MarkH), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 20:21 (twenty-one years ago)

It's news to me, I have to say.

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 20:25 (twenty-one years ago)

haha - that thought passed through my head too i must admit!

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 20:28 (twenty-one years ago)

hubbard's isn't as hard, as it is stupid.

I don't know where tamworth is.

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 20:45 (twenty-one years ago)

It's news to me, I have to say

hmmm, are you like Tony Etoria, or indeed Phil Fearon and Galaxy? Can you *prove* it?

― MarkH (MarkH), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 21:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I have seen so little of the United Kingdom. I am ashamed and regretful.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 21:04 (twenty-one years ago)

*I* can't prove it; but anyone who has access to this site's logfiles and posters' IP addresses can.

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 21:07 (twenty-one years ago)

haha.

I have met caitlin but I have not met calum, so far.

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 21:08 (twenty-one years ago)

don't be so sure.

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 21:11 (twenty-one years ago)

that's very shrewd.

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 21:12 (twenty-one years ago)

i'm clever that way.

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 21:12 (twenty-one years ago)

but anyone who has access to this site's logfiles and posters' IP addresses can

no, they can prove that you have yr "Caitlin computer" and yr "Callum computer", they can't prove that you are different ppl.

― MarkH (MarkH), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 21:21 (twenty-one years ago)

stop windin'm up.

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 21:23 (twenty-one years ago)

why RJG? It's fun.

― MarkH (MarkH), Saturday, 23 October 2004 12:14 (twenty-one years ago)

What is that? A slogan?

― Alba (Alba), Saturday, 23 October 2004 12:19 (twenty-one years ago)

bit late to the aprty but Okay, I've just phoned national rail enquiries out of curiosity and unless Indian call centres are currently employing Mancs then the entire premise of this thread is wrong. i was thinking the same thing, i always get people with northern accents. according to the PR seems like there is a centre in Mumbai, alongside one in S Yorks.

― ambrose (ambrose), Saturday, 23 October 2004 16:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I think there was talk, up thread, about the times of the day one is likely to get connected to India rather than the UK.

― Alba (Alba), Saturday, 23 October 2004 16:42 (twenty-one years ago)

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